Tampa Homeless/ Police Harassment

Yes, it has been a few days since I last posted anything. There is a very good reason for that, trust me. How about a case of pneumonia? I've been laid up and feeling very miserable for just over a week. Being a diabetic doesn't help, either.
Anyway, on to the topic at hand. This will be the shortened version.
I've been in Tampa for slightly more than 6 weeks, and I've been stopped by the police on the North side of town for a total of 5 times already. Five fucking times! For what? How about for just hanging around and talking to some of the homeless people out on the streets, who have happened to be drinking at the time. Open containers of beer or whatever are a crime in the city of Tampa. Apparently, so is being around someone with a container in their hand or close by.
I'll have a story for you the next time that I post which will show you just how hard up the Tampa Police Department is in writing tickets and arresting citizens for having an " open Container." One officer tried his best to get me to say that an empty bottle belonged to me. This was after the real drinkers had told the idiot that I do not drink! Stay tuned!

Tampa Economy: Unemployment Up...

...and that comes as no surprise to me and many others trying to make a living in this over sized town.
The unemployment rate for June was 10.6% statewide,and the rate sits at 10.7% for the Tampa/Hillsborough County area. That is up some 0.5% from May.
Some more numbers of notice:
392,800
Number of jobs Florida has lost over the past year

88,500 Lost jobs in professional and business services

86,300 Lost jobs in trade, transportation and utilities

80,400Lost jobs in construction

10,000 Added jobs in health care and social assistance, the state's only growing sector

$100M Amount in extended unemployment benefits paid out to Floridians as of Friday

31,513 Number of Floridians expected to exhaust extended unemployment benefits through September.

131,893 Number of Floridians expected to exhaust extended unemployment benefits through December.

Sources: Florida Agency for Workforce Innovation; Florida Employment Law Project

The government and other agencies which keep track of such things keep telling you and I that this recession is easing up a bit. That may be true in other areas of the United States, but that isn't happening in the state of Florida. It appears to be getting worse here as the weeks go by, and many of the residents of this state are paying the price.
Unless you are one of those wealthy retiree's that the state is catering to, stay the hell out of this state. You will not find any real work here if you are an hourly worker. You will certainly not be able to live here in any manner to which you may be accustomed. Times are very tough in this area. You'll do better elsewhere.